Police Warn of Online Scam

Police Warn of Online Scam

The Financial Crimes Unit of the Wichita Falls Police Dept. has noticed another trend in online scams involving rental properties

The Financial Crimes Unit of the WFPD say they have noticed another trend in online scams involving rental properties. The scam is perpetrated when an unsuspecting victim responds to an ad to lease a rental property, usually via Craigslist.

At that time the victim will be advised that in order to secure the property they will need to remit a payment via Western Union to the property manager. In the cases seen thus far, the property manager and the ad are fake and not associated in any way with the actual property for sale/lease.

They say citizens should be advised that any online agreement that requires the purchase of a gift card or western union money gram is usually a scam. The Financial Crimes Unit would also like to urge citizens to complete rental agreements in person. They say to also encourage to visit the property to confirm it is vacant and check for any realty signs on the property to confirm the legitimacy of the ad.

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